The California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) recently made significant changes to the state’s Megan’s Law website, including the addition of conviction and release dates on the profiles of about 50,000 registrants. The state agency agreed to add the dates as the result of a lawsuit filed in November 2015 and settled in August 2016.
“The recent addition of conviction and release dates is expected to help registrants find better jobs and housing,” stated ACSOL president Janice Bellucci. “Additional conviction and release dates will be added to the website as they become available.”
In addition, the revised Megan’s Law website has information under “Frequently Asked Questions” for registrants regarding federal laws. According to the website, federal law requires registrants to notify local law enforcement before they travel domestically or internationally. ACSOL has asked CA DOJ to provide the legal authority for notifications prior to domestic travel. As of this date, the agency has been unable to provide the requested legal authority.
Unless I’m missing it, the information related to travel doesn’t appear to be available on the DOJ site.
I’d like them to footnote which law is used for each of those conditions we initial when we register. They can put that up there on the website, too.
I dont get the domestic travel bit. When did that come up??
Wonderful news! Janice and the State of California should be commended. The one thing I did note was the Static 99 test. As I had thought, how do you realistically test someone who have been crime free 15-20 years after their conviction? Per the website, many (or some) offenders are not testable and those released into the community for 10 or more years (unless they commit another crime) aren’t tested as well. Well done and this is clearly fair
That’s fine and dandy, but that’s about 12 years too late.
Everyone has always assumed the crime was recent.
So I can’t travel without notifying them? When did THAT become law? (Or are they just publishing random stuff on their website?)
This is only going to encourage more internet stalking, more potential for legal issues and more violation of rights at various points of people’s lives.
Not so FAST !! they still put down the CITY AND ZIP you live in not the address.
I think the city and ZIP code should be removed as well.
#7 is WRONG
It should reads…
when a person is released on parole after having served a term of imprisonment in state prison for any offense for which registration is required pursuant to Section 290, that person may not, during the period of parole, reside in any single family dwelling with any other person also required to register pursuant to Section 290, unless those persons are legally related by blood, marriage, or adoption. For purposes of this section, “single family dwelling” shall not include a residential facility which serves six or fewer persons.
Edit: To Nick M.
I don’t think they give a shit about when it happened. Maybe and I say MAYBE a job might care but the general public? Nope, you’re a criminal. Even the employer bit is only good for those with lots of time served.. if you’re fresh from the DOC factory line, you’re probably SOL either way.
This is an important step in the right direction. The legislature directed the DOJ to update all MLW profiles with dates of conviction and release in part to protect registrants from the assumption that all offenses were committed recently. The DOJ was supposed to finish updating the profiles *over six years ago,* but simply ignored the mandate. It took a lawsuit by Janice before the DOJ decided to follow the law. If the DOJ feels it can ignore even existing, non-controversial laws designed to help Registrants, then prospects for additional reform are dim. Thanks to Janice and team for holding the DOJ accountable.
Ooo.. nice and fancy.. but still no dates or risk assessment score or tool *looks over other’s shoulder*
Well my honeymoon is over. I just checked the new site and NOW I am a blue dot on my address, before I was not and now BOTH my PC’s are listed as well. I wonder how long until the shit hits the fan in the apt. building I live in… sick to my stomach right now…
Well, this updated website is a huge step forward. I do agree that it shouldn’t have Been a lawsuit to bring this change, but it’s still a win. Furthermore, it clears up a lot regarding Static 99 Testing. People have been arguing about this for weeks. As noted, not everyone will qualify for testing based upon their conviction. In addition, those who have lived a crime free life in the community for 10 or more years really wouldn’t be good candidates. So, if your still angry, I might recommend making a contribution to this movement to bring change. 2 years ago, we where (some of us with expunged offenses) banned from beaches and parks. Look at how these city requirements have been altered as well.
Vigilantes pass you by if your offense was a long time ago? That’s good to hear, unless your offense happened recently. My impression is your average vigilante thinks we are incurable monsters, and no amount of time will cure us.
Thank you. That is much more accurate. P.S. I didn’t use Tor to go look.
One thing that needs to be done is implementing a CAPTCHA to access the Megan’s Law site to prevent third party sites (such as homefacts, etc) from crawling the site and reposting the information.
What am I missing here? When I search an “offender” and enter a Zip Code, that person’s whole address shows up? I thought a Zip Code search would only show the vicinity in that area? Can someone explain the “Zip Code Only” Category which would be if you were a Tier II, correct?
I re-registered due to a move recently. I asked at both the city I am exiting and the one I moved to if I was required to report domestic or international travel. Both said they weren’t aware of any requirements, and had never dealt with anyone required to do that, though the exiting city was just the jailer that handled registrations. The new city was the sex crimes detective. The detective said there is one registrant that calls in to tell them when he travels interstate “just in case”. The detective did not believe it was required. This is in California.
Interestingly, they had me do a cheek swab for DNA which they said was required by the California DOJ. I had previously been required to give blood for DNA to the feds over a decade ago while incarcerated.
I travel often across the US. I always check the registration requirements of the states I am traveling to. Of the many states I have checked, few require registration if staying for less than 10 days or so. In Hawaii, they required me to register, but that entailed copying my driver’s license and writing my local address and phone number on the copy! Not a very formal process!
Federal SORNA requires a change in registration within 3 days of a change of “residence.” My layman’s research shows that to be an actual change of home address – not a temporary visit. But, most importantly, federal SORNA is tiered and time-limited. Once the time period expires for federal registration, the restrictions end.
Check the laws.
The entirety of notifying criminal regimes before I travel is completely unacceptable. I am not going to sit around and accept it. Because of that, I am going to harm people by any means that is legal. I am going to identify individual people who support the Registries and I am going to do what I can to hurt them by any legal means.
The beauty of war is that it only takes one side to declare and wage it. And I’ve done so.
Very interesting updates. I found it interesting to read that certain offenders (Who is eligible to be assessed) aren’t eligible to be assessed (10 years or more). So, I wonder how that will play out with a tiered system.
Just checked my hubs info. My address as well as his is still listed even tho he has not lived here since 2006.
He does come here almost everyday. But he does not live here. He eats dinner, charges (still on gps/parole) and goes to his place to sleep. Why do they insist my address be on the site? If its because he frequents the house, then every single grocery store or business he frequents, should be included as well.
Its not that big a deal but it still bugs me.